 Atari -the name brings back many memories for video gamers. If you have an old Atari system around and it works, it is not junk or old it is now “Retro” at least that is the latest craze for things that were once all the rage. If I was to look in my closet that has all my old (sorry Retro) systems lying around, I can now feel better that they are now the thing to collect and not just a sign of a pack rat.
Hell, I was retro before the word was being used, so I guess I can feel good about that? Having been a teen in the 80’s I saw all the things that were hot including wearing the Miami Vice clothes just like Crockett I mean Don Johnson. Yes, go ahead, and after you read the review, click on the contact page or the about us page. Look at my mug and imagine me wearing the white jacket, powder blue shirt, white pants and the white slip on shoes. Of course I was a lot lighter back then. Vaughn will chuckle at this and so will Cole. I can handle that. Ever see Cole’s old Original Sin Photo? Now that is Retro. I think every 80’s band out there is still trying to sue him for stealing their look. Of course I am joking well, sort of. My point is something old always makes a comeback. Atari Anthology is a great collection for those who want to relive the old “Err Retro” Days of video games, an Impressive collection of over 85 games on one shiny disc. To think if you own every copy in the original boxes, you would have a nice cash cow. Some of those games are extremely rare and hard to find in any condition. They even included 18 of their best arcade hits in this collection of classic arcade and 2600 games. From Tempest to Yar’s Revenge, you will find it in this collection.  Of course, looking at the scores one may think the game is not very good. Not true, it’s based on the way it looks and plays and you have to be fair. The games are classics but they show their age in the graphics department and sound effects. They are dead on and Digital Eclipse did a fantastic job recreating them for the Xbox. I just do not want you to think they have been updated or enhanced although they did add a few neat new modes that you will unlock after beating a certain level of each game. They also made the interface look like a star galaxy, a nice touch to the menu interface.
Playing this game is like a quick trip down memory lane. You will also soon notice that the same games you used to sit and play for hours now look very simple compared to today’s games. That was the beauty of Atari. Their games were basically simple, however, very addictive and fun to play. The controls on a few of the games takes awhile to get used to and it would have been nice if they would have packaged the collection with a wheel controller for those special games like Tempest and a few others. However, after awhile you get used to using the thumb sticks. It will take a little time to adjust. The sounds are as they were in the original versions. The added flyers and other little collectables you can flip through and read up on really help add to the overall game.  For $ 19.99 it certainly is worth the price as long as you remember the games are the way they were made and not enhanced versions. It was nice to be able to play some of the classics again. You can even look at other gamers’ scores on Xbox Live. For those who love the older games this collection is great and worth adding to your Xbox collection. For those wanting to visit the old or “Retro” days of video games and may not be sure if they will enjoy the full experience, a rental may be best.
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